Translation for British English "take the piss" / "take the mickey"?

[anonymoose]

@杰.克 I'm sure for the sake of your argument you won't agree with me, but my interpretation of the Wikipedia clip you posted is that "taking the mickey" is just the Cockney rhyming slang version of "taking the piss" - they mean exactly the same thing.

[Jim]

I wonder if @杰.克 is doing a performative exposition of taking the piss by his determination to be so very wrong in such a decided fashion

[杰.克]

On 10/13/2021 at 6:18 AM, Jim said:

I wonder if @杰.克 is doing a performative exposition of taking the piss by his determination to be so very wrong in such a decided fashion

 

Mwhahahaha, brilliant comment Jim, love it!  ?

 

In summary though, my thoughts are -

- "Taking the Piss" and "Taking the Mickey": are very similar but crucially, not wholly the same. 

- They can be used interchangeably in situations that demonstrate someone is -making a joke/ teasing someone/ having a laugh. 

- They can not be used interchangeably to demonstrate anger at somebody doing something to a degree you find annoying and they are doing it for their own purpose (not to wind you up, not to have a laugh, not to tease you). In this case "taking the mickey" is not suitable.

- Examples where you are better using "taking the piss" ; 1)the pub charges too much for a pint 2) you have to queue for a long time due to delays at your bank 3) the water main bursts outside your house and the repair man says he will be another 5 hours. In these scenarios you could tell a friend "they really are taking the piss" 

- In the above 3 situations, the intention of the subject you are referring to , is not doing what they are doing in order to make a joke, to make fun of, or to take the mickey out of you. They are taking the piss, but due to their own lazyness, or incompetence, or lack of staff.

- People will quite commonly (as demonstrated in this thread) used the phrases incorrectly. Similar to how people use the word "literally" when they mean metaphorically. Due to the frequency of misuse, it's completely understandable to use either one. Everyone will still understand you and thats why there will be people in the thread happy to post both are absolutely fine. 

- If you google search define "taking the mickey" you will see the definitions on all the top results and dictionary's, are not simply about demonstrating anger.

 

In short - a pubs pricing cannot take the mickey out of you, but they can take the piss!

 

EDIT ADDITION - If imron is still in the thread, I will bow to his understanding! To me he is the pinnacle of knowledge and "learning chinese the hard way" is still the best info ever placed on this site!

[imron]

 

On 10/13/2021 at 6:45 AM, 杰.克 said:

If imron is still in the thread, I will bow to his understanding!

The only thing I was going to say is that I agree 开玩笑 is a good translation in this context.  e.g.

 

Quote

一瓶啤酒八块钱？！你开什么玩笑。

 

You'll see this sort of phrase being used in Chinese in the same sorts of situations Aussies and Brits would use taking the piss. e.g "Don't get so worked up, I was just taking the piss"  - 我开玩笑的，你较什么真. etc etc.

 

I have no comment on taking the mickey vs taking the piss.  I mostly use/hear the latter rather than the former.

[Singe]

On 10/12/2021 at 11:30 AM, 杰.克 said:

Taking the piss - making fun of somebody/ having a laugh / pulling someones leg / being angry at someone/something for an action that they are doing to a degree that is more than can be tolerated

Taking the mickey - making fun of somebody / having a laugh /  pulling someones leg

 

Interesting that you make the distinction between the two phrases. I wouldn't, I would use the phrases interchangeably in my neck of the woods (or does 'neck of the woods' have a similar regional variance?!). I would use both phrases with both pulling someones leg and being annoyed at someones actions.

[Kenny同志]

Consider 靠 for taking the  piss.

 

一杯酒八塊？靠！

 

Edit: The correct form of the character is 尻. 靠 is a loan word yet far more common. 

[vellocet]

On 10/15/2021 at 10:09 PM, Kenny同志 said:

Consider 靠 for taking the  piss.

Ah yeah. Another good one.  我靠 what a long drawn-out kao.  It can mean "you're taking the piss" depending on the situation.  In others it can be an all-purpose curse word in response to a negative event.

 

Quote

Edit: The correct form of the character is 尻. 靠 is a loan word yet far more common. 

Well friggen no wonder I could never find it in the dictionary.  It's one of those few words whose use I found entirely through listening to people use it.

[stapler]

This reminds me of another phrase I was delighted to learn had a direct Chinese translation: 攪屎棍 - which can have a lot of cross over with taking the piss